Will Godzilla Start A Revival Of Monster Movies?

And by a revival, we’re talking about remaking many of the old ones, from the start of film making through really about the early 1960’s. That’s the question that was discussed briefly on WTTK here in Raleigh.

The genre never really went away. There are certainly movies here and there. Some are remakes. Ho many vampire movies have there been? Werewolves? King Kong was remade for the 2nd time a few years ago. Personally, I like the one with Faye Dunnaway the best.
Can you remake those old ones for the theaters? Good question. Something like Tarantula might work. Others, like The Tingled, might not, even as a fun summer flick. Making them for a network like SciFi or Chiller might be better. Lord knows SciFi needs some quality movies, instead of the normal drek.

Could many be remade without being silly or modern preachy, hosed much like was done with Noah? And be interesting for modern movie goers, who would shell out quite a bit more than decades ago? Would the subject matter interest them? Here’s some to consider:

Creature from the Black Lagoon: I never really like the original. The concept was great, but rather schlocky.

Phantom of the Oprah? Hunchback of Notre Dame? Nosferatu, done properly, to really scare the crap out of people, give them a serious case of the willies, would be good.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde? Kinda have that with the Hulk. The Invisible Man? That could be tough, unless set in an earlier era. Need to see and feel the madness.

Black Cat and Black Sabbath might be good. How about a modern version of The Blob?

If Hollywood wants to reach in the bag for remakes, why not use good material? Sometimes people just want to see a fun film without a deep message, though, of course, so many of those 50’s movies were linked to the Cold War and nuclear weapons. Like Them. Would one want to remake Jaws? How about campy stuff like Blood Beach? They remade Piranha, which was silly, campy, lots of gratuitous nudity, and hearkened back the 70’s and early 80’s movies, attempting to be fun, along with scary and gory.

Mummies are kinda out at the moment. The one with Brendan Frasier was great. How about a proper Wolfman? The recent one was bad. Would The Skull or It Came From Beneath The Sea work? Hey, maybe an American version of The Host?

What do you think? Anything you’d like to see remade, if done well? What’s your favorite monster movie? Could Godzilla bring on a Renaissance?

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12 Responses to “Will Godzilla Start A Revival Of Monster Movies?”

  1. Trish Mac says:

    I love monster flicks. Sometimes, even the cheesy ones. Used to sit up with my big brother on Saturday nights and watch Double Chiller Theatre! So it was a natural that when my own children were growing up, they got to see all the good old monster movies!!!!

    And I am pretty sure it was Jessica Lange, not Faye Dunaway in the 1976 remake.

  2. Mark E says:

    Went to see it the other day.

    I enjoyed it.

    The pro-enviro-skam angle actually wasn’t shoved in my face — no more than the nuke tests & bombing were in the original ones (used as a reason but not a constant sermon). Pleasant surprise.

    In total the movie was very like the early “B” type movies of the 50s & 60s.

  3. Better_Late_Than_Gumball says:

    Thanks for that mark.
    Trish, Teach was referring to the original.

    Teach, Invisible Man was remade in to a psycho thriller with Kevin Bacon a decade or so ago.

    One of the reasons that the earlier monster movies worked was because Nuclear was real. Nuclear testing was going on, and there was discussions about the radiation. And people saw (2nd hand) the real cause of radiation on living organisms. So, it wasn’t really a stretch to see mutations upon our ecosystem.

    But… now we come to today. Nuclear is near as safe as lighting a candle. No boogey-men there any more. What’s left? Aliens. Ancient underground aliens who are now waking up. Aliens trying to stop previous ancient alien doings. Wormhole aliens.

    GAG.

    Mummies was good because it was fun, the characters were believable and cute together, and cute separately depending on your sexual preference…..

    I’m not sure what I’d want to see now. Though, I like your idea of the horror movie remakes.

    Tarantual was remade recently with SPIDERS, and Eight-Legged-Freaks.

    OMG>.. Sharknado 2 is currently filming.

    I think with all the stupid cheesy monster, large animal movies of late (megashark vs megaanaconda, etc) we’ve been burned.

  4. Trish Mac says:

    Gumball- I don’t think Faye ever played the role in King Kong. 1933, 1976, 2005 were the years made. Dunaway is not old enough to be in the original.

    And yes- the current crop of mega monsters are brain sucking movies. Just because you can create these giant creatures, doesn’t mean the producers also find a plot or actors with any acting ability!

  5. Better_Late_Than_Gumball says:

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024216/

    aahhh… Faye Wray.

    google is your friend.
    🙂

  6. Oops, I did mean Jessica Lange in the 1976, rather than the 1933 with Faye Wray.

    I’d forgotten about Hollow Man. Perhaps one set in a more older age, a period piece?

    Good info, Mark. Makes me want to see it now.

  7. I loved Monsters and Cloverfield, both done very well.

    Sharknado2 comes out this summer on SciFi, is all about climate change.

  8. Better_Late_Than_Gumball says:

    76 Kong was by and far better than 05 Kong -which alluded to bestiality. Sickening.

    I still have yet to see the excellence that is sharknado 1. Though, I have seen all the other variations of the tornado theme on SciFi. (and I hate the new syfy designation)

  9. Better_Late_Than_Gumball says:

    Well, lookie here….
    a sequel
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091344/

  10. Trish Mac says:

    I think King Kong has been used enough then Gumballs! And it was Faye Wray, I knew it rang a bell!
    Been a long time since Hollowman, Teach, going to have to find it!

  11. Better_Late_Than_Gumballs says:

    DOOOOOOON’T. It was horrible.
    only one cool scene where he started to turn invisible… sloooowwwwly… but other than that.. it was stupid.

    it’s basically a stalker psycho-killer movie.

    Now.. Piranha 3DD…. is one you should see.

  12. I saw Piranha 3D in the theaters, while silly, was a fun 80’s throwback: gratuitous blood and nudity. No deep meaning. Just splatter and boobs. 3DD was awful. Rented it.

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